


Thirty Days Until The End of the World

by Tabi



Category: Ikenai Navigation, Kiss x Kiss: Seirei Gakuen
Genre: Alternate Universe, Apocalypse, Community: 30_kisses, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2009-03-01
Updated: 2009-03-01
Packaged: 2017-10-21 14:01:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/225995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tabi/pseuds/Tabi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In thirty days, the world will end; Keigo trusts Kazuya with this information, and that trust has to be absolute. Thirty kisses for thirty days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thirty Days Until The End of the World

The first Kazuya knew of anything was when he walked into the Student Council building one day to see Keigo stood by the calendar, marking off a block of days.

Kazuya stood in the doorway and watched. He was too far away to see what was specific about those days, what it was about them that would cause Keigo to scribble so _furiously_ at the lightly-laminated page, but whatever it was, it seemed to be important.

Outside, the sun was setting; the light that dared enter from the windows to the side bathed the main meeting-room in orange. Kazuya didn't know how long Keigo had been in the room, but he hadn't turned the lights on. Was there anybody else here? He didn't know. He wasn't even sure why he'd come to the Student Council building in the first place; just for something to do? A small thought, somewhere in his mind, had wondered if Tatsuya may still be around. The sun was setting but it wasn't so late, just that the year was advancing and the nights drawing in. They could go to the Game Centre. Try for the high score, again. Kazuya was determined to beat OKI. T if it killed him. All the same, Tatsuya wasn't at the Student Council building, only Keigo. Only Keigo, in the dying half-light. Occupied so entirely by the calendar. Kazuya stood for a good few minutes, wondering if he should say something or if he should just leave, say nothing, pretend that he'd never seen anything to begin with.

If Kazuya had had any opportunity for retrospect, then he might have looked back on that decision as being possibly the most important one he'd ever make. The option of taking action, or not. If he'd done nothing, he might have had the chance to wonder: would nothing have happened? Would anything ever have happened?

Nonetheless, he attracted Keigo's attention and so sealed his fate.

"... Oi, Kattsun. What you up to?"

Keigo stopped as if he'd been burnt, jerking away from the calendar and dropping the marker he'd been using, turning and staring at Kazuya with wide, accusing eyes.

"... How long have you been there, Moritaka?"

"Not long. ...A while." Kazuya offered him a lopsided smile. "Enough to see you getting busy with that there, huh. Something wrong with it?" Now that Keigo had his attention, he supposed there nothing wrong with walking forward to take a closer look.

It was the end of October, but Keigo had the page flipped to November. Each day square had been emphasized hard, hard enough that Kazuya could see the grooves where squares stood proud of the rest of the page. Over that had been the marker, marking every day as coloured in with black ink. A solid block of black ink, representing the month of November.

That was the first indication that Kazuya had that anything was strange with this situation.

"... What... are you doing?"

Keigo bent down to pick up the marker, placing the cap back on it and folding his arms, staring at the calendar with a pensive expression. "November has thirty days."

"... Yeah...?"

Keigo turned to look at Kazuya at that point, narrowing his eyes as if judging him for something. He opened his mouth as if he were about to speak, but in the end said nothing. Instead, he went to the desk set into the side of the room and put the marker away, standing there for a few moments with his fingers pressed against the smooth wood.

"... Moritaka..."

"... What is it...?"

"Can I trust you?"

That question didn't seem to come from anywhere. Kazuya frowned before attempting a smile, "... Sure you can! I mean, I'd kinda hope we could all trust each other, being on the Council and everything..."

This answer seemed to stir Keigo's ire; he spun around to lean against the desk, staring at Kazuya with that accusing expression once more. "I don't mean casually. That level of trust... that level of trust is barely perceivable. Merely relying on each other through physical proximity... does that, really, guarantee anything at all?"

No, something was strange here. Kazuya couldn't help his wary expression, "... I don't know what you mean then, sorry."

"Have you ever been betrayed?"

"I--... what?"

"Has somebody important to you ever betrayed you?"

"I--... uh... not--... not that I can... not that I can think of? Why, did somebody do something bad to you? If someone hurt Kattsun, then I won't forgive them~!"

This only earnt a withering stare. "I knew I shouldn't have said anything to you. Forget I ever said anything, Moritaka."

Keigo made to leave the room; he was at the doorway that led to the outer corridor before Kazuya made to stop him, running over to him and putting a hand to his shoulder. This was brushed away quickly, but Keigo did pause.

"What do you mean...?"

"You don't seem like the kind of person who I'd be able to trust."

"What...?" Being told something like that in such a straightforward manner was enough to make Kazuya stop and think. Really? That was the kind of impression Keigo had of him...? Was that what people thought of him in general, or was that only Keigo's perception? Either way, it caused an immediate stab of _hurt_ that Keigo should think like that. They'd all been together on the Council for long enough now to know each other properly, surely...? Kazuya tried to form his defence. "That's cruel, Keigo. I--... I like to think I'm a pretty trustworthy kind of guy. I... I don't know if I've ever really had the chance to prove that, but--"

"Exactly my point. How many situations in your life have you _really_ had to uphold someone's trust? At what point in your seventeen-year life have you really, _truly_ been trusted with something...?"

The grave nature of Keigo's words didn't shift Kazuya's opinion of this situation being _strange_ , but it was a valid question. Had anybody ever placed that level of trust in him? He'd never really been in the sort of situation where that was necessary. It didn't help that Keigo sounded almost _mocking_ with those last words. Was it his fault that he'd never had the opportunity to prove himself? That kind of thing just hadn't happened, not yet.

"Okay, maybe I've not, but--"

"My point exactly."

" _But_ , if you'd let me finish--!... Who's to say I couldn't be trusted? Maybe I've not really been trusted and maybe I've not really been betrayed or whatever, but I think it's pretty low to go so far as to shatter someone's opinion of you that far. Can you trust me?" A small shrug. "As far as I know. As far as I'd like to believe. I don't know what your problem is right now, but I'm pretty sure I could deal with it. Try me, Keigo. See what it is that's so bad I can't be trusted with it." (He'd almost forgotten the calendar; it occurred to him again as he said that and stared at Keigo, issuing the ultimatum. He didn't know how that, how the time limit of thirty days, tied into anything. He didn't care. He only wanted to, if it were at all possible, right this situation.)

Again, Keigo narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Kazuya. Seeming to come to some kind of decision, he sighed deeply and looked to the side. "... Alright. If you're so stubborn that you absolutely feel the need to prove yourself, then... alright. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. ...Can I see if I can really trust you, Moritaka Kazuya...?"

For all of Keigo's strange mood and oddly sardonic nature of the moment, that last line seemed heavy and sincere. It almost made Kazuya nervous, but for remembering the point of this. He couldn't claim the ability of his trust and then bottle out, could he? Besides, he couldn't think of any one thing, offhandedly, that Keigo could tell him that would shock him to the point of withdrawing that statement. No, Keigo _could_ trust him. He'd prove that. He'd definitely prove it. Kazuya offered a smile, "... I'm just sad you feel the need to have to prove it first, but okay. Whatever it takes. Feel like talking to me, now? If there's something up, I just want to make you feel better." Another small shrug, "That's all there is to it, really."

Keigo smiled at that, but it wasn't a smile that Kazuya liked. Something about it seemed as mocking as Keigo's previous tone but more than that, something in his expression seemed _empty_ , too. As if those words were _so_ ridiculous that Keigo couldn't even process them properly. "... Such a simple aim. It's almost admirable. I wish I _could_ admire it."

"... Keigo...?"

He kept that smile for a few seconds longer before letting it melt away, then considering something. "... I shall tell you five things, Moritaka. Whether those five things make sense to you or not, nonetheless, they are very important to this situation. Please listen to them carefully before making any decisions. Would you like us to go back to the meeting table? They shouldn't take long to report to you, but I can't help but think that standing in a corridor like this feels quite awkward. Don't you think?"

Kazuya hadn't really thought about it, but supposed that the main table was a better place for a discussion than somewhere stuck between rooms. "Sure, whatever." He went back to the table and pulled out the nearest chair, but went to the one opposite. Keigo took the chair as he supposed he'd been bid.

"Alright." He caged his fingers and stared at the surface of the table between them, seemingly unable to look up at Kazuya as he spoke. "... Number one: My best friend is Jinguuji Akihiro. Second: The person I respect most out of anybody is Wada Yoshikuni. Third: ...They both betrayed me." Keigo paused after this and then looked at Kazuya, perhaps expecting him to speak. As it was, Kazuya _wanted_ to speak, but didn't want to risk anything for the sake of having been impatient. Realising this seemed to make Keigo's expression soften, just for a moment. He continued, "... Four: Until last month, we had two transfer students. You might remember them; Yamada Minato and Yamada Kaito. Lastly, number five: The world will end in thirty days." He looked down at the table briefly, then back up at Kazuya after a few seconds. "... Thoughts?"

"I--... what?!"

"Think on it longer if you need. I know the topics might seem quite separate to hear them all of a sudden."

"No, no no. It's not that. That last one--"

"The world will end in thirty days."

"Yeah, that one. What the fuck?"

"Exactly as it sounds. In thirty days, the world will end. Now, you've already said that you have a full capacity for trust, and so I throw these weaknesses in your direction. Those five things are what I am trusting you with, for now. There is more I could tell you, but I shall wait. After all, if you can't accept these five things, then I shall have to consider your ability to be trusted in fact a lie, and you would become the sixth fact falling under the header of 'betrayal'."

"I--" Kazuya stopped himself before he said anything without thinking about it, suddenly feeling very aware that he had to be careful with his words. Was that really all it took for Keigo to feel betrayed? Was that the issue here, that Keigo had told these things both to his best friend and the person he respected the most, and found himself rejected? If that was the case, was he even _surprised_...? Kazuya didn't think he knew anybody who could have heard those things and, within the same moment, accepted them without question. But Keigo was staring at him and Kazuya worried, all of a sudden. He worried about Keigo, who would say these things. He worried about the Keigo who felt betrayed, who seemed to have such black-and-white qualifiers under the word 'trust'. He kept his gaze steady. He couldn't believe those things - that last one, at least - but he couldn't back out of the situation now, he knew that much. He didn't believe Keigo, but did Keigo have to know this? He narrowed his eyes. "... Alright."

Keigo almost seemed amused, "You don't believe me, do you?"

"I didn't say that. I just--... saying something like that... is a lot to take in, that's all. But, if that's what it takes to make you trust me, then... sure, okay. We've got thirty days left. I'm with you."

"I--" This time, Keigo was the one to pause. He laughed then, looking down at his hands. "I was about to say, 'I don't believe you'. But then, what kind of hypocrite would that make me? This trust, it--... it has to work both ways, I know that. I... I know that." His voice seemed quieter, then; almost as if reminding himself more than anything else. "... So, you believe in the things I've said, and I believe that you believe me. That's... that's the fragile thread that binds us, Moritaka. I'll hold you to that." Keigo stood up from the table, pushing his chair out and standing to the side. He pushed it back beneath the table and watched Kazuya for a long moment. Kazuya made no move to follow in this action, and so Keigo approached him instead.

"... And another thing, Moritaka. You can consider this the sixth thing, if you wish... or you could consider it a side-note, a sub-heading, a footnote..."

"... Yes?"

Keigo touched his fingers to Kazuya's cheek, "... I trust you now, Moritaka. So I'm trusting you with everything. _Everything_. Including--" He leant down, pressing a brief kiss to Kazuya's cheek. "--... Including _that_ sort of thing. This trust has to be absolute."

Kazuya wasn't sure what to make of that (as much as he was anything _else_ Keigo had said over the past little while), but couldn't help a small smile. "Why not?... We've not got long left, after all."

This was answered in kind. "One kiss for each day remaining." Taking a step backward, Keigo stood up straight and stared at where Kazuya remained seated. "... And with each kiss, I'll watch as you depend on me, further and further." (Once more, Kazuya wasn't sure Keigo was saying things meant for his ears.) "... I look forward to it, Moritaka."

Without saying another word, Keigo left the room.


End file.
